LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



014 079 000 A 



# 



Hollingier 
pH S3 



F 74 
.G9 G73 
Copy 1 



AN ECCLESIASTICAL COUNCIL 

HELD AT GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS, 

APRIL 15, 1712. 



At a meeting of the Massachusetts Historical 
Society, held in Boston on Thursday, November 9, 
1899, Dr. Samuel A. Green, in presenting an old 
manuscript, said : — 

The following paper, recently brought to light, gives about 
the only information we have of an Ecclesiastical Council, 
held at Groton, on April 15, 1712, which was called to con- 
sider the troubles between Mr. Bradstreet, the minister, and 
the church. The exact nature of the complaints then made 
by his parishioners is not known, but from the answers to some 
of the charges, their general character may be surmised. It 
has been thought that the troubles grew out of Mr. Brad- 
street's Episcopal tendencies, but by the light of the manu- 
script this theory seems untenable. The paper itself is not 
the original report of the Council, but a contemporaneous 
copy of^he same. Both from the style of writing and from 
the spelling it appears to be in the hand of Jonas Prescott, an 
inhabitant of Groton, who at that period was prominent in the 
affairs of both church and town. While he may have been 
illiterate himself, like most men of his times, and unused 
to scholarly ways, he became the ancestor of a long line of 
families distinguished in many different walks of life. 

The Council consisted of five ministers or elders, and nme 
lay delegates or messengers. The ministers were the Rev. 
Grindall Rawson, of Mendon, who acted as Moderator of the 
Council ; Rev. John Hancock, of Lexington, grandfather of 
the Signer; Rev. Joseph Baxter, of Medfield ; Rev. John 
Swift, of Framingham ; and Rev. John Prentiss, of Lancaster. 
The messengers were Tiiomas Wilder and John Houghton, 
of Lancaster''; Samuel Stone and^Joseph Bowman, of Lexing- 
ton ; Jonathan Boyden and Samuel Roocit (Rockwood), of 
Medfield; David Ryse (Rice) and Joshua Hemenway, of 
Framingham ; and John Tyler, of Mendon. 



'^'f^J^ 



At a Councel of fine Churches Called by y*" Reud mr dudly brod- 
stret and the disatisfied bretheriu of the Church of Crist in Groton & 
held in sd Groton Aprel 15: 1712 refering to the un hapy differince 
betwen them wee the subscribers Conuened at the time and plase aboue 
sd & hauing Earnstly Implored the help of all mity God and herd 
«& Examined Euedinces and allagations one all sids do aduise and 
determin as foloueth 

Impremise or Impmy That the aduise tack plase as to the furst arti- 
col in the Charg which the reuernt Eldrs which were with them in 
nouembr y'' \date otnitted] 1710 did giue them namly that uither mr 
brodstret nor others should insist one the charges mad by them that 
could not be mad out Concidring the ouer of temtation thay were in 
& that a contry corse mit haue a tendeucey to Cast them in to further 
and grater confusons 

II as to thee woord raysing in y'^ 2 articoll the sudscribers to the 
charge desiered it mit be with drawne as to mr brodstrets reporting the 
story refered to in the sd Charge mr brodsti'et has giuen ampel satis- 
faction partickerly to Thomas Tarboll iuuer y'' parson Imedatly Con- 
carned and the 4 brethren whoo sined the sd Charge publickly de clared 
them selues satisfyed 

III Concidring y" unacountabol parplexity and Contridixon of 
Euedinces i-efering to y*^ 3'^ articol uise y*" charge layed against mr 
brodstret for abominadle Cariage towherds towerds [sic] the wife of 
Samuell Keemp wee are not aboil to de termin for the present one 
which side the truth lyes & there fore shall leue it to farther concidra- 
tion untill wednsday y® 18 day of June next insuing at raalbray unto 
which time and place we do agorne the councel hoping that thare may 
bee sumthing more of lite by that time gained by the help of which wee 
may be Enabled to pas to a more full determintion 

nil whers the reuorant mr brodstret is Charged with Immodst 
actions at the house of Sameuell Commines one a satudday night we find 
the Euedinces in that Case so Conuyctine that we determin it to be mr 
brodstrets dixty to submit to the Euidences and mack satisfaction 
according to gospell ruU 

V the fifth and sixt articls in the Charges Exhidited to us ware re- 

VI caled by the disatisfyed brethren them selues & therefore we find 
uo reson to tack it in to our thouts too determin any thing apone thera 

we cannot but Expres the grat & aflicttiue sence we haue of the 
lamantabl condison ouer beloued brethren are in & of the sufering 
state of religon among them by reson of the long contineued and Exer- 
siseiug diferences & diuesons where bey their pese and quieat haue bin 
ob structed & it is with Extreme sorou and aflicton of sperit wee be 
hould the diffrances arision be twene y^ reurend mr dud brodstret and 
the disatisfied brethren and other iuhabintence be come so wide & grate 
as for bid us to hope for such reconcilation betwene them as may of fer 
a prouibel prospect of the con tinuance of the relation thay stand in 
Each to other comfortablle to either and do therefore beleue it to 



be y" most hopeful! Expedaent to their peese and comfort that the 
'" Church of Crist and in haditauce of Groton do frely Consent that the 
'-'^ reurend nir dudly bradstt may re moue from them & wee beleue it will 
c;^^ Conduse to his oune Comfort to exsept that liberty when aloued him : 
wee furder ad that in order to his pesoble remoue from them it is their 
duty to maintaine a Du regard to his iust rits according to thare a 
greement with hime upone his setlement with them in the pastorl 
offise whilst this be dune wee cannot supepose thay will dell iustly with 
him nor comfortably for them seines & to y'' prouiding to a nu setl- 
ment finely we Judge it the duty of paster and pepel to humbell them 
selues under the the [sic\ ueru sever and Just & holy prouidence of 
God in per miting saton the Enemy of souls so long to inuad & imbors 
thare peese & to be uery lawfull to in quier into the causes of God 
anger & holy indignation manifest in so sore & humdling a dispershon 
of prouidence touerds them and we beleue it their duty to beg that 
God would shou to Euery of them where in thay haue dun a uiis to be 
waill it be fore God & to ask importinatly his pardoning marsey throu 
the blond of a gratious & all mity redemer to hear the fait of these 
misers of iniquitys which cannot be by ouer most thout full & Cristell 
Endeuers Come att lyes where not able to determin but the holy god is 
the sercher of all harts beleue it tis the dudy of all parsons concarned 
to consider it and to act acording ly that thay may not Hue and dye 
with out indeuers af ter reconceilaton to God in order to y"' ob taining 
for giuenes it shall be ouer prayer to god that thay may in gods time 
which the lord in marsey hasen see a comfortadl eshue of all thare 
trobles one the acount of which thay haue bin grat thoughts & serching 
of harts we pray that ouer endeuers toners bringing one of such an 
ishue may be Exceptable to god whose presence we haue desiered & 
whoos rules we haue acordingly to ouer light a lowed & to thos whoo 
here Desiered ouer presens with thaare and ouers result one the perticu- 
lers laid before us whome we recomend to the mersefuU fauer & Conduct 
of gracous God and subscrid ouer selues youre serunts for Crists sack 

grindall roson mod 

John hancock 
Josef baxter 
John Swift 
John Prentis 

Thomas AVilder 
John houton 
Sameuel Stoon 
Jonathan boydon 
Dauid Ryse mesengers 

Sameuell roocit 
Josheuh hemiugway 
Joseph bowman 
John Tyeler 
[Endorsed] the ad uis. of a Counsill of eldrs & mesingers 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



014 079 000 fl ^ 

According to the answer given to the third Article, the 
Council adjourned to meet at Marlborough, on June 18, 1712. 
While there is no record extant of what was then done at this 
adjourned meeting, the general result of the proceedings, and 
the action of the town thereon, may be gathered from the fol- 
lowing entries in the Groton town-records (page 24) : — 

Whereas at A Metting of the Reu'! Elders & messengers lately con- 
uened At Grotton april 15 1712 & at the meting of said Reu*^ Elders & 
messengers at Malbro June 18° 1712 upon adiournmeu Aduice hath 
been giuen to the Reu'^ M'' dudley Bradstret Pastor of the church in 
Grotton & to the church of Christ there that the s*^ church & town 
should forthwith proseed to dismis the said M'' Bradstret from his office 
bond & Relation to them as the most probable expedient in their Judg- 
ment to promote their peace & comfurt 

lu pursuance of the aboue specified Aduice the church of Christt In 
Grotton declare and It is noted that the Reud !\P dudley Bradstret is 
dismised from & is discharged of his pastoral] Relation & office Obliga- 
tion to the church of Grotton noted allso that our Bretheren capt prescot 
simon stone Jonas prescot ir be desiered & are impowered to present 
the aboue written notes of the church to the Inhabitanes of the town of 
Grotton for thair cchcurrence & to joyn with such person or persons as 
the town shall appoint to presant these uots & the towns concurrence 
therewith to the iiu.A M"' Bradstret 

Grotton July 22 1712 

At a Meting of the Inhabitants of the town of Grotton legalley 
warned to '"ousider certain notes of the church of Christ in Grotton Re- 
faring to th V discharging the Reud : M^ dudley Bradstret from his 
Pastorall Relaiion to tham & his office bond to sd church = noted that 
the town doth concur with the uots of the church refering to M'' brod- 
strets dismission as a boue expresed & that the Inhabitants of sd Grot- 
ton doe release the sd ]\P Bradstret from the Relation he stands in to 
them as their minister 

uoted also that Nathanill Woods Ephrim Pare with capt prascot 
simon ston Jonas Prascot ir Chosen by the church to present the uotes 
to the town at this presant meeting of the Inhabitants be a commitey 
on the behalf of the town to presant the uots of the church & town to 
the Reud M"" Bradstret 

Grotton July 24 



.Or '^ (rOj 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




014 079 000 A 



# 



HolUnger 
nFT ft S 



